Surface cleaning device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning device comprising: a cleaning base adapted to contact a surface of an environment to be cleaned; the rechargeable battery is used for providing operation power for the surface cleaning device; a vacuum source and a recovery system in fluid communication with the vacuum source, the recovery system comprising a dirt recovery reservoir; the fluid detector is located in the dirt recovery storage device and comprises an impeller assembly, and the impeller assembly comprises a driving motor and an impeller driven by the driving motor to rotate; and the controller is in communication connection with the impeller assembly and is used for electronically controlling the impeller assembly and judging the liquid level state in the dirt recovery storage according to the current of the driving motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a surface cleaning apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Wet surface cleaning devices refer to cleaning equipment suitable for cleaning various hard surfaces in home or office environments.

[0003] Conventional floor cleaners clean the floor using a high flow rate of cleaning fluid to completely wet the floor. By wetting the hard floor surface, the cleaning head transfers dust from the floor into the cleaning fluid, which is then removed from the hard floor surface and retained in a recovery reservoir as contaminated cleaning fluid.

[0004] The existing technology uses a probe inserted into the recovery storage unit to detect the liquid level. However, when using a wet surface cleaning device, the recovered wastewater contains various impurities, and as the use time increases, the probe signal may be misreported or fail. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

[0007] a cleaning base adapted to contact the surface of the environment to be cleaned;

[0008] a rechargeable battery to provide operating power for the surface cleaning device;

[0009] a vacuum source and a recovery system in fluid communication with the vacuum source, the recovery system including a dirty recovery reservoir;

[0010] The fluid detector located in the dirt recovery storage includes: an impeller assembly, the impeller assembly including a drive motor and an impeller driven to rotate by the drive motor; and

[0011] The controller is in communication with the impeller assembly and is used for electronically controlling the impeller assembly and determining a liquid level state in the dirt recovery storage according to a current of the drive motor.

[0012] In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus includes a controller configured to determine an operating state of the fluid dispenser based on a detected current of the drive motor.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the surface cleaning device of the present disclosure, the current of the driving motor corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the surface cleaning apparatus of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to disconnect the fluid supply and / or power supply of the recovery system and / or output an alarm based on the first current threshold and / or the second current threshold of the drive motor.

[0015] According to the surface cleaning device of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first current threshold corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller caused by liquid droplets, and the second current threshold corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller caused by foam.

[0016] According to the surface cleaning apparatus of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the impeller assembly is arranged to detachably cooperate with the dirt recovery reservoir.

[0017] In the surface cleaning device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the impeller assembly is arranged on a main body of the surface cleaning device.

[0018] In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus includes an impeller assembly in fluid communication with the recovery system.

[0019] According to the surface cleaning device of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the impeller assembly is arranged in the recovery flow channel of the recovery system.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning device is a wet surface cleaning device or a wet-and-dry surface cleaning device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a surface cleaning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a surface cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic diagram of a dirt recovery storage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a dirt recovery storage device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5 Yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the control system of the surface cleaning device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the relevant content and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the portions relevant to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in the present disclosure can be combined with each other. The technical solution of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0029] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary embodiments / examples shown are to be understood as providing exemplary features of various details of some ways in which the technical concepts of the present disclosure can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features of the various embodiments / examples may be further combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concepts of the present disclosure.

[0030] The use of cross hatching and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to make the boundaries between adjacent components clear. As such, unless otherwise indicated, the presence or absence of cross hatching or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the components shown, and / or any other characteristics, attributes, properties, etc. of the components. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of the components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When the exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, the specific process sequence can be performed in a different order than described. For example, two successively described processes can be performed substantially simultaneously or in an order opposite to the order described. In addition, the same figure numbers represent the same components.

[0031] When a component is referred to as being “on,” “over,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other component, or intervening components may be present. However, when a component is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another component, there are no intervening components present. For this purpose, the term “connected” may refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., with or without intervening components.

[0032] For descriptive purposes, the present disclosure may use spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "under," "down," "above," "upper," "above," "higher," and "side (e.g., as in "sidewall")," to describe the relationship of one component to another (other) component as shown in the accompanying drawings. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is turned over, a component described as "below" or "beneath" another component or feature would then be positioned "above" the other component or feature. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both the "above" and "below" orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0033] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one (kind, person)" and "said (the)" are also intended to include plural forms. In addition, when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" and their variations are used in this specification, the features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups stated are explained, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups is not excluded. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms "substantially", "approximately" and other similar terms are used as approximate terms and not as degree terms, so that they are used to explain the inherent deviations of the measured values, calculated values ​​and / or the values ​​provided that will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0034] Conventional wet surface cleaning devices typically include a dirt recovery reservoir for collecting dirty liquid recovered from the surface being cleaned. To prevent overflow, a detection mechanism is typically required to directly monitor the liquid level when the liquid in the dirt recovery reservoir reaches a certain level. When the level reaches the set level, the detection mechanism sends a signal to the controller 700, which instructs the surface cleaning device's recovery system to cease further suction, thereby preventing overflow of the dirty liquid from the dirt recovery reservoir.

[0035] Existing detection mechanisms usually include a probe, which is fixed in a dirt recovery storage device or inserted into the interior of the dirt recovery storage device along with the cover of the dirt recovery storage device. The dirt recovery storage device usually recovers various liquid dirt. As the use time increases, the probe surface is easily contaminated by dirt, causing false water full alarms or liquid level detection failures.

[0036] The solution disclosed in the present invention is to set an impeller assembly in the dirt recovery storage, which keeps the impeller 422 rotating during operation, and judge the fluid state in the dirt recovery storage by detecting the rotation state of the impeller 422, so as to maintain a safe liquid level in the dirt recovery storage.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the present disclosure provides a surface cleaning system, which includes a surface cleaning device and a base station 900 .

[0038] The surface cleaning device is configured to clean a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor surface, etc.). Preferably, the surface cleaning device is capable of wet cleaning the surface to be cleaned, i.e., is formed as a wet surface cleaning device, and recovers liquid after cleaning the surface to be cleaned back into the surface cleaning device. Unless otherwise specified in the present disclosure, the surface to be cleaned is disposed substantially horizontally, i.e., is formed as a horizontal plane.

[0039] The base station 900 is configured to dock the surface cleaning device and is capable of providing electrical energy to the surface cleaning device to charge a rechargeable battery of the surface cleaning device.

[0040] While the surface cleaning device of the present disclosure is illustrated as a floor scrubber, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term "surface cleaning device" may be used herein to describe various types of household cleaning equipment, including autonomous processing equipment configured to provide some semi-autonomous or autonomous capabilities. Examples of household cleaning equipment include floor scrubbers, vacuum cleaners with mopping capabilities, robot vacuums with scrubbing capabilities, and robot window cleaners.

[0041] Refer again Figure 1 In the present disclosure, the surface cleaning system is intended to support the surface cleaning device in cleaning and maintenance. In some examples, the surface cleaning device may be configured to perform a semi-autonomous or autonomous dirt particle collection process. For example, the surface cleaning device may include a wet floor cleaning device. The surface cleaning device may include one or more controllers 700 connected to sensors, which are disposed on or inside the housing of the surface cleaning device. The controller 700 may be connected to or integrated with a connecting component and is configured to collect data from the sensors. In some examples, the surface cleaning device may identify the degree of dirtiness of the floor within a cleaning cycle through sensors. This identification may be based on sensor information and the usage time of the agitator 702.

[0042] The controller 700 may also be configured to transmit output signals to controlled components of the surface cleaning apparatus and execute a cleaning operation cycle. Examples of controlled components include a vacuum source 701, a motor driving an agitator 702, and the like.

[0043] Base station 900 may be configured to perform a self-cleaning cycle and a thermal drying cycle, whereby corresponding cleaning and maintenance operations are initiated when the surface cleaning device is received and supported on base station 900 .

[0044] In some embodiments, various mechanisms and algorithms can be employed to determine the maintenance mode for the agitator 702 of the surface cleaning device to suit the current operating conditions. These operating conditions can be user-defined or identified by the surface cleaning device using occupancy data related to the environment, such as a record of the soiling level of the surface being cleaned. Automatically selecting a cleaning mode through these mechanisms and algorithms can reduce the power consumption of the surface cleaning device, thereby improving its operating efficiency.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the surface cleaning system may further include an access point 1100, a server 1200, a remote control device 1300, a database 1400, and a wireless communication link 1500. The server 1200 may include a data server, a cloud server, a server associated with an automation service provider, a proxy server, a mail server, a web server, an application server, a database server, a communication server, a home server, a mobile server, or any combination thereof.

[0046] For example, a surface cleaning device can upload data (e.g., notifications) to an application hosted by server 1200 for publishing data related to autonomous functions performed by the surface cleaning device. For example, a user can view the data published by the surface cleaning device through an application running on remote control device 1300 to view the functions performed by the surface cleaning device. Server 1200 can also transmit various information to the surface cleaning device, such as location information, motion control instructions, and other information, instructions, or commands related to the autonomous operation of the surface cleaning device.

[0047] Database 1400 can store data, including operational information such as location information, control instructions, consumables information (e.g., agitator 702 information, filter information), water fullness information, dirtiness information, battery information, and other information, instructions, or commands related to maintenance operations of the surface cleaning device (e.g., the duration of a self-cleaning cycle, the duration of a hot drying cycle, the amount of charge charged by base station 900 during maintenance of the surface cleaning device, etc.). The surface cleaning device can retrieve the stored data from database 1400 via access point 1100.

[0048] In some cases, the surface cleaning apparatus may also communicate directly with another device (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocol), such as a smartphone, a Bluetooth device, a Wi-Fi device, a mobile station, a user station, a mobile client, etc.

[0049] The wireless communication link 1500 shown in the surface cleaning system may include uplink (UL) transmissions from the surface cleaning device to the access point 1100 or server 1200, and / or downlink (DL) transmissions from the access point 1100 or server 1200 to the surface cleaning device. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, while uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions. The wireless communication link 1500 may transmit bidirectional communications and / or unidirectional communications. The wireless communication link 1500 may include one or more connections, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, point-to-point, LAN, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, fiber optics, and / or other connection types associated with wireless communication systems.

[0050] In some examples, environment 2000 can be part of a structure, such as a residence or commercial building. For example, environment 2000 can be a home, and more specifically, a room, including one or more different floor surfaces and objects located throughout the room. The surface cleaning device can be configured to perform cleaning functions within the confines of the home. For example, the surface cleaning device can be manually controlled by a user to perform a semi-autonomous (or autonomous) collection process of surface dirt particles within the aforementioned geographic boundaries.

[0051] When a wet household surface cleaning device is in operation, the agitator 702, filled with liquid, rotates at high speed and picks up a large amount of dirt. To avoid secondary contamination, the structural design requires that the agitator 702 maintain real-time self-cleaning capabilities. Typically, a cleaning liquid reservoir 300 is used to shield and collect dirt and liquid particles thrown out by centrifugal force during the high-speed rotation of the agitator 702. A scraper bar is positioned within the receiving chamber to scrape off dirt adhering to the surface of the agitator 702 in real time and remove it through a suction nozzle.

[0052] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a surface cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the surface cleaning device of the present disclosure is configured to wet clean a surface to be cleaned, wherein the surface to be cleaned may be a floor surface, preferably a household floor surface. Furthermore, after the surface cleaning device wet cleans the floor surface, dirt and liquid (sewage) remaining after cleaning the surface to be cleaned can be recovered into the surface cleaning device.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the surface cleaning device may include a handle portion 100 , a main body portion 200 , a cleaning liquid storage 300 , a dirt recovery storage 400 , a connecting portion 500 , a floor brush 600 and other components.

[0055] The handle portion 100 is detachably provided on the main body portion 200. The user can operate the surface cleaning device by operating the handle portion 100, and enable the main body portion 200 to be in an upright state (non-working state) and an inclined state (working state). In the inclined working state, the main body portion 200 can be at about 180° to the surface to be cleaned, so that the floor brush 600 and at least a part of the main body portion 200 can enter the bottom environment of the furniture for continuous cleaning.

[0056] More preferably, a user interaction interface 704 can be provided on the handle portion 100, and the user can control the surface cleaning device by triggering the user interaction interface 704, such as controlling the start and stop of the surface cleaning device, controlling the liquid supply speed of the surface cleaning device and the suction power of the vacuum source 701, etc., and for example, controlling the opening and closing of the user voice interaction system, and voice volume control, etc., so as to provide a better user experience of the surface cleaning device.

[0057] In one example, the main body 200 forms the main body of the surface cleaning device; the main body 200 is pivotally connected to the floor brush 600 via the connecting portion 500; moreover, the main body 200 and the floor brush 600 can each or all accommodate components such as the cleaning liquid reservoir 300 and the dirt recovery reservoir 400. In the present disclosure, the dirt recovery reservoir 400 can be detachably mounted to the rear side of the main body 200, and the cleaning liquid reservoir 300 can be detachably mounted on the floor brush 600 to respectively form a portion of the outer surface of the dirt recovery reservoir 400 and a portion of the outer surface of the floor brush 600. The above arrangement can lower the center of gravity of the surface cleaning device as a whole, allowing the user to more conveniently operate the movement of the surface cleaning device by hand.

[0058] In one example, after the cleaning liquid storage 300 is installed on the floor brush 600 , the overall thickness of the floor brush 600 is set to be less than 120 mm.

[0059] The cleaning liquid reservoir 300 is flat to fit the overall contour of the floor brush 600. It includes a cavity formed by multiple walls to hold the cleaning liquid, and the capacity of the cleaning liquid reservoir 300 can be set to, for example, 500 mL. The cleaning liquid reservoir 300 of the present disclosure has an upper surface with an inlet cover protruding from the upper surface, which is used to hold the cleaning liquid. The upper end surface of the inlet cover is equal to or lower than the highest point on the upper surface of the cleaning liquid reservoir 300.

[0060] The cleaning liquid storage 300 is used to store the cleaning liquid to be distributed. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid storage 300 can be connected to a liquid dispenser (not shown in the figure), so that the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage 300 can be pressurized by the liquid dispenser and provided to the cleaning liquid outlet on the floor brush 600, or provided to the surface to be cleaned near the floor brush 600, thereby enabling wet cleaning of the surface to be cleaned to be achieved by the cleaning liquid.

[0061] In a preferred example, the liquid dispenser may include a pump 703, which can extract cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid storage 300, pressurize the cleaning liquid, and provide it to the liquid outlet component, and provide the pressurized cleaning liquid to the agitator 702 of the floor brush 600 or to the surface to be cleaned near the agitator 702 through the liquid outlet component.

[0062] In the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid may be one or more of any suitable liquids, including but not limited to cleaning water, concentrated detergent, diluted detergent, or mixtures thereof. In addition, the cleaning liquid may be a room temperature cleaning liquid or a high temperature cleaning liquid. The main body 200 is formed with a storage space, and the dirt recovery storage 400 is detachably provided on the main body 200 and is located in the storage space, so that when the liquid stored in the dirt recovery storage 400 is large, the user can remove the dirt recovery storage 400, pour out the sewage inside, and clean up the solid waste. At this time, part of the outer surface of the dirt recovery storage 400 forms part of the outer surface of the surface cleaning device.

[0063] In order to recover the liquid after cleaning the surface to be cleaned, the dirt recovery reservoir 400 can be connected to the floor brush 600 via a recovery pipeline (not shown). Accordingly, the mixture of dirt, sewage, and gas (solid-liquid mixture) can be recovered to the dirt recovery reservoir 400 via the recovery pipeline. In one example, a solid-liquid separator can be provided within the dirt recovery reservoir 400 to separate the solid-liquid mixture recovered by the surface cleaning device after cleaning the surface to be cleaned in the solid-liquid separator, so that the separated solids are retained in the solid-liquid separator and the separated liquid is stored within the dirt recovery reservoir 400.

[0064] In the present disclosure, the surface cleaning device further includes a vacuum source 701, which may include a vacuum motor. This vacuum source 701 can generate a vacuum (negative pressure). Simultaneously, the vacuum source 701 can be connected to the dirt recovery reservoir 400, thereby providing this negative pressure to the dirt recovery reservoir 400, thereby forcing the flow of gas and wastewater within the recovery line. In the present disclosure, the gas exhausted from the vacuum source 701 can flow through gaps in portions of the outer surface of the surface cleaning device to the exterior of the device.

[0065] In one example, the connection portion 500 may include a universal joint so that the main body 200 can rotate relative to the floor brush 600 in two directions.

[0066] In another example, the connection portion 500 may include a multi-axial joint, which can couple the main body 200 with the floor brush 600 to allow the main body 200 to rotate relative to the floor brush 600 along the first direction and the second direction.

[0067] The main body 200 can be pivoted to an upright position (also referred to as a storage position) via the connection portion 500. In this position, the angle between the main body 200 and the surface (or floor) of the floor brush 600 is 80° to 90°, preferably approximately 80°. In this position, the surface cleaning device is in a self-supporting position (also referred to as an upright position). That is, the floor brush 600 supports the main body 200, and the upright position can be achieved without the aid of other objects.

[0068] The dirt recovery storage 400 is detachably connected to the main body 200. More specifically, the dirt recovery storage 400 can be connected to the outlet of the recovery hose of the connecting part 500 to suck the solid-liquid mixture after the cleaning base 600 cleans the surface to be cleaned into the dirt recovery storage 400, and allow the gas to be discharged to the outside of the dirt recovery storage 400. The solid (i.e., solid waste) and liquid are separated and stored in the dirt recovery storage; that is, the solid-liquid mixture includes solid waste, used cleaning liquid and sucked gas, forming a three-phase mixture.

[0069] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the dirty waste recovery storage 400 may include a housing 410 and a solid-liquid separator 430. The housing 410 may further include a recovery conduit 411, one end of which is connected to the hose of the connection portion 500, and the other end of which terminates in the first chamber 412 inside the dirty waste recovery storage 400. For example, the portion of the recovery conduit 411 located inside the first chamber 412 has a certain height so that a predetermined gap is formed between the other end of the recovery conduit 411 and the retaining wall 4121 of the first chamber 412. The first chamber 412 forms a semi-sealed structure inside the housing 410, so that the solids in the recyclables remain in the first chamber 412, while the liquid and gas pass into the second chamber 413 through the pipe portion 431 on the solid-liquid separator 430.

[0070] The second chamber 413 is divided into two parts, a first part 4131 and a second part 4132, by a one-way valve 414. In the upright state of the dirt recovery reservoir 400, the first part 4131 is located below the second part 4132. In this case, the vacuum suction force causes the liquid and gas from the first chamber 412 to enter the tube portion 431 from the inlet 4311 and flow into the second chamber 413 from the outlet 4312, to enter the first part 4131 of the second chamber 413 under the action of gravity and / or suction force, and to inhibit the liquid that has entered the first part 4131 from flowing out of the first part 4131 of the second chamber 413 to the second part 4132 of the second chamber 413 through the one-way valve, thereby storing the liquid.

[0071] In this way, the first part 4131 of the second chamber 413 is used to store the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture, and the first chamber 412 is used to store the solid in the solid-liquid-gas mixture; of course, a small amount of used cleaning liquid can also be stored in the first chamber 412; and generally, a small amount of solid waste with a small particle size also exists in the second chamber 413.

[0072] Generally, a probe structure is arranged in the first part 4131 of the second chamber, for detecting the liquid fullness height in the first part of the second chamber. As described above, because a small amount of solid waste also exists in the dirty liquid, with the increase of the use time, the adherent particles in the dirty liquid are easy to accumulate and cover the surface of the probe, thereby reducing the sensitivity of the probe and causing false positives or failure.

[0073] In one example of the present disclosure, in the second part 4132 of the second chamber, a gas-liquid separation device 420 is arranged on the fluid passage between the cleaning base 600 and the vacuum source 701; in one embodiment, the gas-liquid separation device 420 can include a driving motor 421 and an impeller 422, wherein at least part of the impeller 422 is located inside the dirt recovery reservoir 400 when the dirt recovery reservoir is mounted on the main body portion, more specifically, in the second part of the second chamber, which is also the air outlet of the dirt recovery reservoir.

[0074] As most of the liquid is stored in the first portion 4131 of the second chamber via the one-way valve during operation, a small amount of fine droplets can be carried by the airflow towards the air outlet of the dirt recovery reservoir, i.e. the installation location of the gas-liquid separation device 420. The gas-liquid separation device 420 of the present disclosure operates by rotating the impeller 422 driven by the motor 421, so that the gas and liquid at the air outlet are separated from each other. The fine droplets are coagulated into thin liquid streams by the blade beating and centrifugal action of the impeller 422, and move away from the air outlet under the action of centrifugal force and gravity, thereby flowing to the second chamber and being stored therein, while the gas is filtered and discharged from the surface cleaning device.

[0075] The principle and detailed description of the gas-liquid separation device 420 can be referred to Chinese patent ZL202220168366.X, which will not be described in detail here.

[0076] During the operation of the surface cleaning device, when the liquid or foam in the second chamber of the tank portion 410 reaches a predetermined level, excess liquid or foam will flow to the gas-liquid separation device 420, and an interruption mechanism can be provided to stop the suction action of the surface cleaning device. The gas-liquid separation device 420 can be configured to determine when the interruption mechanism should be activated. The gas-liquid separation device 420 can replace any suitable component in the market, such as a probe, for sensing at least one of the liquid or foam at the liquid level of the tank portion 410 in the dirt recovery reservoir.

[0077] During operation, the impeller 422 is rotated by the torsional force of the drive motor to form an effect of isolating water droplets from the airflow in the flow channel of the vacuum system. Specifically, the impeller 422 is driven to rotate in use to have an axis of rotation, so that the gas in the wet surface treatment device is sucked into at least part of the accommodation space inside the impeller 422, and the liquid is hit or thrown out to the outside of the gas-liquid separation device 420 after reaching the separation blades of the impeller, thereby enabling the gas-liquid mixture to be separated in the gas-liquid separation device 420.

[0078] At a normal liquid level, most of the liquid droplets in the dirt recovery reservoir are difficult to cross the gravity and obstacles to reach the impeller 422 under the design of the baffle and flow channel in the dirt recovery reservoir, so the impeller 422 remains in contact with only a small amount of escaped liquid when the liquid level does not reach the threshold. When the liquid level of the dirt recovery reservoir reaches or is about to reach the maximum liquid level, the baffle and flow channel in the dirt recovery reservoir can no longer inhibit more liquid droplets from escaping to the impeller 422, and relatively more liquid droplets will flow towards the impeller 422.

[0079] When the separation blades of impeller 422 are impacted by a large number of liquid droplets, a torque greater than that at the normal liquid level is generated at the shaft. This torque reacts on drive motor 421, creating driving resistance and causing current fluctuations in drive motor 421. By detecting this change, it is possible to indirectly determine whether the dirt recovery reservoir has reached the set maximum liquid level.

[0080] Combine Figure 5 The drive motor 421 of the gas-liquid separation device 420 can transmit a current signal at a first current threshold to the controller 700. The current signal is sent from the drive motor to the controller 700, where it is processed to form a liquid response signal corresponding to a critical liquid level in the housing 410. At this liquid level or position, the cleaning / suction components of the surface cleaning device (e.g., the suction motor and liquid delivery system) should be shut down to prevent liquid from entering the suction motor. Based on the liquid response signal, the controller 700 can shut down components of the surface cleaning device. Additionally or alternatively, based on the liquid response signal, the controller 700 can provide a visual or audible signal, such as a light or sound, via a user interface. This light or sound can alert the user that the liquid in the housing 410 is too high or that some components of the surface cleaning device have been shut down. In yet another configuration, additionally or alternatively, the controller 700 can stop the suction motor in response to the liquid response signal to prevent liquid from entering the suction motor.

[0081] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the gas-liquid separation device 420 includes a communication channel operatively coupled to the controller 700. The communication channel may be formed by any transmission medium for transmitting signals or transferring data.

[0082] The controller 700 can be coupled to the drive motor of the gas-liquid separation device 420 using one or more communication channels. The controller 700 can also be operably connected to other components of the surface cleaning device, such as a vacuum source 701, an agitator 702, a pump 703, and / or a user interface 704 (alarm horn, switch).

[0083] During operation, the surface cleaning device is prepared for use by connecting it to a power source and filling the cleaning liquid reservoir with cleaning liquid. As the surface cleaning device moves back and forth across the surface, the user activates an actuator, and the cleaning liquid is selectively delivered to the surface to be cleaned via the liquid delivery system. An agitator 702 (e.g., a roller brush) can simultaneously stir the cleaning liquid into the surface to be cleaned. During operation of the recovery system, the surface cleaning device draws in working air carrying liquid and debris through a vacuum suction port and into the housing 410, where the liquid and debris are substantially separated from the working air. The air then passes through a suction motor and is discharged from the surface cleaning device. The housing 410 can be emptied periodically to collect the liquid and debris.

[0084] In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separation device can also transmit a current signal to the controller 700 at a second current threshold value that is less than the first current threshold value. The current signal is sent from the drive motor to the controller 700 and processed to form a foam response signal, which corresponds to a critical foam level located in the housing 410. If foam is present, the cleaning / suction components of the surface cleaning device should be turned off to prevent foam from entering the position of the suction motor. Based on the foam response signal, the controller 700 can turn off components of the surface cleaning device. Non-limiting examples of components that can be turned off include the suction motor and the liquid delivery system. Additionally or alternatively, based on the foam response signal, the controller 700 can provide a visual or auditory signal, such as light or sound, via a user interface. The light or sound can provide a user with an alarm that the foam in the housing 410 is too high. In another configuration, additionally or alternatively, the controller 700 can activate a shut-off valve in response to the foam response signal to prevent foam from entering the suction motor. It should be understood that although the inertia of foam is less than that of water droplets, the inertia of a large amount of foam can still generate a torque on the separation blade that is greater than that of a small amount of water droplets, thereby causing a change in the current of the drive motor. When a sufficiently dense soap foam forms around the impeller 422, the controller 700 can interpret this signal and stop the operation before the excess foam is sucked into the suction motor.

[0085] The basic function of the controller 700 is to determine whether either the liquid-full or foam-over conditions are met. The first condition occurs when the liquid has risen and is about to contact the impeller 422, and a fine stream of water has already contacted the impeller 422. The second condition occurs when the liquid foam has already contacted the impeller 422. The control system can also take action to shut down the vacuum source 701 (e.g., a suction motor), the pump 703, or the agitator 702 (e.g., a roller brush). Taking at least one of these actions, and preferably all of them, prevents additional water from being drawn into the tank 410.

[0086] The following describes the logic of sensing liquid or foam using the gas-liquid separation device 420 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. First, the drive motor generates and transmits a current signal. Additionally or alternatively, a first current threshold and a second current threshold are generated and transmitted from the drive motor. Next, the first current threshold and / or the second current threshold are transmitted to the controller 700 through a communication channel. After being transmitted through the box body 410, the first current threshold and / or the second current threshold are interpreted by the controller 700 as liquid or foam response signals, respectively. The controller 700 receives the liquid or foam response signal and controls the actions of other components, for example, turning off the suction motor and activating an alarm device, such as a visual or auditory signal of light or sound, which can alert the user of abnormal liquid level in the dirty storage through the user interface.

[0087] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment / method", "some embodiments / methods", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment / method or example are included in at least one embodiment / method or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / method or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments / methods or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments / methods or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments / methods or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0088] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are merely intended to clearly illustrate the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other changes or modifications may be made based on the above disclosure, and such changes or modifications are still within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning device, characterized in that: include: a cleaning base adapted to contact the surface of the environment to be cleaned; a rechargeable battery to provide operating power for the surface cleaning device; a vacuum source and a recovery system in fluid communication with the vacuum source, the recovery system including a dirty recovery reservoir; The fluid detector located in the dirt recovery storage includes: an impeller assembly, the impeller assembly including a drive motor and an impeller driven to rotate by the drive motor; as well as The controller is in communication with the impeller assembly and is used for electronically controlling the impeller assembly and determining a liquid level state in the dirt recovery storage according to a current of the drive motor.

2. The surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to determine an operating state of the fluid dispenser according to the detected current of the driving motor.

3. The surface cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein: The current of the driving motor corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller.

4. The surface cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein: The controller is configured to disconnect the fluid supply and / or the power supply of the recovery system and / or output an alarm according to the first current threshold and / or the second current threshold of the drive motor.

5. The surface cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein: The first current threshold corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller caused by the liquid droplets, and the second current threshold corresponds to the rotational resistance of the impeller caused by the foam.

6. The surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein The impeller assembly is arranged to detachably engage with the dirt recovery reservoir.

7. The surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein The impeller assembly is disposed on the body of the surface cleaning apparatus.

8. The surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein The impeller assembly is fluidly connected to the recovery system.

9. The surface cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein The impeller assembly is arranged in the recovery flow channel of the recovery system.

10. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein: The surface cleaning device is a wet surface cleaning device or a wet-dry surface cleaning device.

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